Summary

The author, a remote-working aerospace employee during the COVID-19 pandemic, grapples with trust in leadership, from his company's CEO to state officials, and ultimately places his faith in the CDC for guidance on safety and returning to work.

Abstract

The author of the article is in a relatively stable position amidst the pandemic, working from home while many others face job loss and financial hardship. Despite the comfort of working remotely with his wife and pets, he is confronted with the reality of potential layoffs as his company's CEO hints at financial strain and a possible return to full production by June 1. The author is critical of Texas' Lieutenant Governor, who prioritizes economic interests over public health. He questions the motives of both corporate and political leaders, suspecting their agendas are driven by revenue and power rather than the well-being of the people. The author decides to trust the CDC, as their mission is focused on public health, but remains cautious about returning to normalcy until he is certain it is safe.

Opinions

The author is skeptical of his company's CEO, who may be downplaying the severity of the pandemic to protect the company's financial interests.
He strongly disagrees with the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, who suggests that economic stability is more important than human life.
The author believes that both corporate and government leaders are prioritizing their own agendas and shareholder interests over the health and safety of the public.
He trusts the CDC as a source of unbiased information and guidance, given their focus on combating diseases and protecting lives.
Despite his trust in the CDC, the author remains cautious and is not willing to risk his life based on uncertain or premature declarations of safety.

Who Are You Going To Believe?

Sorry But I’m Not Really Into Dying

They Better Be Right When They Tell Me It’s Safe To Come Back

I will admit I’m a little bit better off than the millions of workers who’ve lost their jobs, can’t buy groceries, pay their apartment rent, or their house note. My heart goes out to their plight, and I donate whatever I can or contribute whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I have (so far) the opportunity to work from home. The paycheck is steady (for now), and my wife and I are spending our days in lockdown with two cats who like having both slaves at home all day instead of just one.

As I have for the last month now, I’m doing all my work remotely on my computer through a VPN connection. I do my job while my darling wife putters around with her self-imposed projects. Today she decided to make flavored shaved ice and turned on the blender in the kitchen during one of my conference calls with my bosses boss.

Thank God for the mute button.

The conference call went pretty standard at first. These types of conference calls usually do, and I try so hard to stay awake. But they’re always after lunch, which means I have to stop my marathon eating I’ve been engaged in since eight in the morning and pay attention.

It’s no problem. I’ve started wearing my relaxed fit jeans. Hey, my company should be happy I’m bothering to wear jeans at all.

So, back to the conference call. As things are prone to do when you’re working for an aerospace manufacturing company that can’t give one of these newfangled flying machines to a company these days, our CEO used the big L word. Yeah, you know which one I’m talking about.

Layoffs.

But he immediately tempered the shock with a quick caveat that none of us knows how long this is going to last, but that the company had been following reports from their many COVID response crisis management teams (all one of them) and they are telling him we’re turning the corner. He then announced he expects us to be back in full production mode, possibly by June the first.

Uh, really?

And to exacerbate an already difficult situation, the Lieutenant Governor of the Lone Star State, announced yesterday, “There are more important things than living. And that’s saving this country for my children, and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us.”

Wait, what?

Texas, the state I’ve lived in, the state I was born in, has at the helm of leadership an idiot who says saving the economic infrastructure of the country is more important than life?

What kind of blathering moron has the temerity to even think that statement much less proclaim it to thousands of people publicly?

And I thought GregADouchebag, the governor of this great state (getting worse every time one of these morons open their mouths) was terrible. Even his brain-dead, ass-kissing underlings are spreading this utterly idiotic idea.

So who am I to believe?

Should I believe the CEO of a company who is watching revenue pour out of his company’s economic veins like pressurized water spewing from a fire hose? Or should I believe GregADoucebag and his addlepated acolyte who tells us all we should prefer dying to keep this country operating like it used to?

How about neither?

In my opinion, both sources are tainted and leaning hard into the premise of business and revenue over the quality of life or when you think about it, life itself.

Both have their agendas at the forefront of their minds. So we lose a few hundred thousand people, so what? At least we kept our shareholders happy and guaranteed our state’s coffers are full.

So again, who do I trust to give me information which is geared toward sustaining the health of my family and me?

Not POTUS, not my states governmental morons, or mayoral puppets who are trying to save their precious party-affiliated positions. Not the CEO of an utterly humongous company with over 22K employees who wouldn’t know my name even if I had a name tag on.

Sorry, but I just ain’t that big into dying.

Look, I know one day I’m going to be grasping for that last breath and marching off this mortal coil one day. It happens. Sometimes when you least expect it, and sometimes after a lifetime of loving and living.

I’m just not ready for the great conductor/conductress to punch my train ticket right now.

That’s why I’m placing my bet on the CDC. Their primary agenda is studying diseases and trying to figure out how to beat them with a stick. Do you know what their mission statement is? Below is the trademarked mission statement:

And yes, while the CDC is a government entity, I don’t see their political affiliation. The only thing I see is their job is to save our lives and protect us. I, for one, can get behind that premise.

But here’s the deal. I would trust the CDC over the big orange baboon in the white house. I certainly believe them over GregADouchebag, the orange baboon’s ass-kissing governor of Texas, and his idiot posing as a human being, Lt. Governor.

I trust the information they provide and the caution they advise. But when the CDC says it’s okay even they better be d*mned right when they tell me it’s safe to come back. Sorry CDC. It ain’t that I don’t trust you, or won’t believe you when you say it’s okay to come out.

In this relationship of ours, it’s me, not you. I’m just not really into dying.

Thanks So Much For Reading

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